Windlass



Sept. 25, 1962 c, 300 3,055,638

WINDLASS Filed Jan. 22, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 i" I an I I 1 t/ k \I 7 E a w 5 1 I/ Q E 1/ 1 g l 35 z a E Q S g INVENTOR. FRED C. 6000 ATTORNEY Sept. 25, 1962 F. (3. GOOD 3,055,638

WINDLASS Filed Jan. 22, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENIOR. FRED C. 6000 A TTORNEY nite tatcs This invention relates to power driven windlasses, and more particularly to small, compact and efiicient apparatus of this type for use primarily in handling the anchor lines of boats in the so-called pleasure craft range of sizes.

All yachtsmen are well aware of the danger in attempting to anchor or weigh anchor a boat in rough inclement Weather which requires someone to stand out on a wet deck and physically handle the anchor line during either anchoring or weigh anchoring procedures. Heretofore, windlasses in a size practical for use on small boats have been unknown to the boating World. An earlier model of Windlass which is the invention of the present inventor is shown and described in application Serial No. 664,774 filed June 10, 1957, now Patent No. 2,875,890. The 'windlass, which is the subject of the present invention, is believed to be somewhat more compact and also of improved eificiency.

Accordingly, therefore, it is the principal object of the present invention to provide a small compact and efiicient Windlass for handling anchor lines or chains primarily for use on pleasure craft.

Other objects will be apparent from the following description read in conjunction with the attached sheets of drawing in which:

-FIGURE 1 is a side elevation partially in section of a. preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a section on the lines 2-2- of FIG. 1; and 1 FIGURE 3 is a side elevation partly in section showing an alternative form of winding drum.

In general, the object of the present invention is accomplished by providing a horizontally mounted winding drum within a compact housing and through the use of a unique means for increasing the tractive force which can be exerted on the line being handled by the drum. The latter means includes a roller slide member which is moved by the anchor line, when under tension, to a position which increases the amount of friction between the line and the drum.

For a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference will be made first to FIGURE 1 which shows a preferred embodiment in a side elevational view partly sectioned. In this figure, the boat deck preferably, though not necessarily the forward deck of the boat, is indicated at and the apparatus of the present invention is mounted directly thereon. Also shown in FIGURE 1 is an opening 11 through the deck which leads to a rope locker or other storage means located below decks. The winding drum 12 is horizontally mounted for rotation about avertical axis as shown. The drum is keyed or otherwise firmly attached to a vertical shaft 13 which also carries at its lower end a worm wheel -14. Power may be applied to the worm shaft 15 carrying the worm 16 which is in mesh with the worm wheel 14 to drive the winding drum. Preferably, the Worm and worm wheel are housed within a closed gear box 17 as shown.

The housing 18 for the winding drum and its appurtenant apparatus preferably comprises two sections 19 and 20, one of which is bolted directly to the deck of the boat and the other of which forms the upper portion of the housing. Also as indicated in FIG. 1 the housing may be provided with a running light attachment 21 which will meet United States Coast Guard regulations for the class of boat to which the windless is applied.

Referring now to FIGURE 2 of the attached sheets of drawing, this is a top plan view of the winding drum and associated apparatus which is shown in section in FIGURE 1. A roller slide assembly 22 is shown slidably mounted within a recessed portion 23 of the lower member 19 of the housing assembly. The roller slide is in eifect an elongated cage member carrying a pair of rollers 24 and 25, one at each end of the slide. These rollers are mounted in the same horizontal plane as is the winding drum 12 so that the peripheral surfaces of either of the two rollers will when urged toward the drum engage the line being handled in such a way as to force the line into the line receiving contour of the peripheral surface of the drum. As shown in FIGURE 2, the anchor line makes a single turn around the drum from the entry port 26 in the forward portion of housing 18 and then exits from the housing through the bottom port 27 through the opening 11 in the deck 10 to the rope locker. Due to the relative positioning of the slide roller assembly and the drum, the peripheral surfaces of these three members define therebetween a path which the line must follow in either coming in or going out of the housing.

It will be apparent from a further consideration of FIG. 2 that the upper roller 25 is so positioned that the line in passing therebetween and the surface of the drum is caused to follow a path which it would not follow were it not for the presence of this roller. In other words, were it not for the position of the roller as shown, the line would pass from its point of entry into the housing in almost a straight line to a point on the peripheral surface of the winding drum which would correspond approximately to one oclock as shown in this figure. The slide member being free to reciprocate within the confines of the cut-out portion of the housing will position itself with respect to the peripheral surface of the drum in a manner which will be determined by the load on the anchor side of the line. The presence of tension in the anchor side of the line, therefore, will tend to urge the slide upwardly as shown in FIG. 2 in a direction corresponding to the elongated dimension of the slide and the net result is that the lower roller 24 is thereby urged into positive engagement with the line so as to squeeze or pinch the line between its peripheral surface and that of the winding drum itself. The result is an increased amount of friction between the line and the drum and therefore a greater tractive force is everted on the line. 3

While straight rectilinear movement of the roller slide would be entirely operative in this device, an improved operation is achieved by permitting not only straight rectilinear motion but also a pivoting motion of the slide. To this end, a pin member 28 is inserted into the bottom portion of the housing so positioned as to bear substantially against the center forward surface of the roller slide. 'In addition, the cut-out portion of the base member of the housing is of increasing width at oppo- 2 also illustrate a modification which is useful to increase the tractive force of the Windlass under certain circumstances. Refenring first to FIGURE 1, an annular washer 30 :of cork or [other similar material is positioned on the upper radial surface of the drum 12. Overlying the washer is an annular ring-like member 31 which is also fitted over the vertical shaft and engages the upper radial surface of the washer. Overlying the latter member is a circular disk 32 of spring steel or the like with cut-out portions 33 as shown most clearly in FIGURE 2. As shown in FIGURE 1, the member 32 is convex upwardly in cross-sectional shape and its position is adjustable by means of a cap 34 and cap screw 35 shown in this figure. The purpose of the cap screw, of course, is to adjust the amount of friction which would occur between the winding drum and the disk-like member. Referring back to FIG. 2, it will be seen that the ring-like member 31 includes a radially protruding finger or lug 36, and this lug extends radially outwardly beyond the outer periphery of the winding drum. On the upper surface of the roller slide assembly, there are shown a pair of fixed, spaced abutments 37 and 38, the spacing between which is such to slidingly receive the lug 36. Whenever, therefore, the winding drum is positively energized to weigh anchor, the lug serves to bias the roller slide in an upward direction as viewed in FIGURE 2, which adds to the force exerted by the lower roller in pinching the line between the outer surface of the lower roller and the peripheral surface of the winding drum.

As indicated hereinbefore, the apparatus thus far described is preferably mounted on the fore deck of the boat. Motive power is preferably furnished by means of an electric motor not shown which is also mounted below the deck and is conveniently connected to the worm shaft. A simple forward, off, and reverse switch in the cockpit therefore will suffice to enable the operator of the boat to raise or lower the anchor without leaving his position at the wheel.

FIGURE 3 shows an alternative form of the winding drum. This form would of course be used in combination with the roller slide assembly described with reference to FIGURES 1 and 2, but it would not be used with the additional slide biasing assembly mounted on top of the winding drum and also described with reference to FIG- URES 1 and 2. The drum 40 as shown in FIGURE 3 is split on a line perpendicular to the plane of this drawing and the lower portion 41 includes a male thread 42. The upper half 43 of the winding drum includes a mating female threaded portion. The lower portion of the drum is positively prevented from rotation with respect to the vertical shaft by means of a key or other equivalent means, while the upper half of the drum is relatively free to turn with respect to the shaft. Of course, it is contemplated that some biasing force for the upper half of the drum should be arranged to insure of positive mating and unmating of the two drum halves in response to rotation or counter rotation of the vertical shaft. Such a means is diagrammatically illustrated in this FIGURE as a simple leaf spring member 44 with a friction head 45 bearing on the hub portion of the upper half of the While the foregoing describes preferred embodiments of the present invention, applicant claims the benefit of a full range of equivalents within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An anchor line windlass comprising in combination: a housing; means defining anchor line entry and exit ports in said housing; a winding drum within said housing having a peripheral surface contoured to receive the anchor line between oppositely disposed radial surfaces; an elongated slide member within said housing; a pair of rollers, one carried by each end of said slide member, said rollers being in the same plane as said drum, said slide member being mounted for sliding movement in the plane of said drum and along a line substantially parallel to a line corresponding to the elongated dimension of said slide member, said rollers and said drum defining therebetween incoming and outgoing paths of travel for the anchor line as it enters the housing, encircles said drum and exits from said housing, said slide member moving in response to tension on the load side of the line to urge one of said rollers into engagement with the line on the drum to increase the tractive force exerted on the line; and means aiiording connection of a positive drive to said drum.

2. A Windlass as defined by claim 1 in which said slide member is mounted for both sliding and pivotal movement.

3. A Windlass as defined by claim 1 and including means frictionally engaged with a radial surface of said drum so as to tend to rotate therewith, and a portion of said means engaging said slide member whereby rotation of said drum biases said slide member to increase the tractive force of said Windlass on the anchor line.

4. A Windlass as defined by claim 1 in which said drum comprises two similar sections threadedly engaging one another concentrically about the axis of the drum, whereby the two sections may threadedly separate from each other during anchor lowering operations, but which on anchor raising, threadedly approach each other to grip the line being handled.

5. An anchor line Windlass for mounting on the deck of small boats comprising: a housing including line entry and exit ports therein; a winding drum mounted for rotation on a vertical axis within said housing and having a peripheral surface contoured to receive the anchor line; an elongated slide member within said housing; a pair of rollers one carried by each end of said slide member in the same plane as said drum, said slide member being mounted for sliding and pivotal movement in the plane of said drum, said sliding movement being along a line substantially parallel to a line corresponding to the elongated dimension of said slide member, said rollers and said drum defining therebetween incoming and outgoing paths of travel for the anchor line as it enters the housing, encircles said drum and exits from said housing, movements of said slide member and therefore tractive force exterted on the line being governed by tension in the anchor side of the line; and means affording positive connection of a source of motive power to said drum.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,051,735 Michelson Aug. 18, 1936 2,802,636 Sandford Aug. 13, 1957 2,875,890 Good Dec. 12, 1958 

